Badger Bits: Ode on a Montee Ball Cutback

[Note: I didn't feel Montee Ball's performance last Saturday was appreciated enough, then I found out odes were hard and ended up with something more like a rumination. But verily, there was a moment of pure beauty Saturday.]

O! What they wrote, that he somehow slipped!

That the ped'stal had shook, and felled his fate.

Ye! Bored scribes projected, razored pens tipped

With weakness borne of ad'lescence sprung late!

Horns and timbrels beckoned, then ceased. A trinity

Dayne, Ameche and Marek held their breath

And swallowed time for a beat, for us all.

Except him, who saw just opportunity

Steps ahead to cheat time and space the breadth

Of a dime. To hear touchdown Montee Ball!

Then he entreated midst the second'ry

With disrespect, perhaps, but more disregard

For foes or scribes or stands rendered empty

By his feet, by his lust for going yard.

Thursday's Links:

Injury report: Ethan Armstrong and Tyler Dippel are expected to play Saturday against the Gophers. Ricky Wagner, unfortunately, is still out.

Bret Bielema says Montee Ball and the Badgers have bigger fish to fry, and haven't yet hit their stride. Also, Chris Maragos is coming back Saturday to be a guest captain.

Productive or not, Melvin Gordon needs to start practicing like Ball and White if he wants to see similar playing time.

Minnesota apparently took the wrong lesson out of getting beat by USC, and is paying $800,000 to UNC to get out of the 2013/2014 home-and-home. Pros: Minnesota gets an extra W. Cons: Fans get ripped.

On that note, I think The Daily Gopher is trying to tell us something:

As we look ahe...wait. Why am I breaking down the game with analysis. HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE!

BadgerBeat talks about recruiting legacies, with an eye on Troy Vincent Jr. in the Class of 2014.

Obligatory OTE Power Poll and bowl projections have Wisconsin making an obligatory move up in the world. Iowa as Gimli is too fitting and I don't get why Mark Dantonio's real picture was used for Michigan State.

Wrapping up: Bill O'Brien on social media from another dimension, and could you please keep it down if you're driving through Evanston on Saturday?